How is recovery following a laparoscopic surgery for urinary incontinence?
Most women can go home within 23 hours of the surgery. Because the incisions are small, there is minimal pain, and the patient can be up and walking the next day after surgery. Since the supporting tissue to the bladder is involved during surgery, a suprapubic urinary catheter (a tiny catheter placed into the bladder through a small incision above the pubic bone) is routinely used for draining the bladder during the first few days of surgery. The suprapubic catheter usually is removed within the first 2-3 days after the laparoscopic Burch procedure and 5-6 days after a laparoscopic suburethral sling procedure. Normal activities can be resumed within 7-10 days. However, as with all bladder operations, the sutures must heal and fibrosis (scarring) must firm up so that the repair work will hold. This healing process takes about 3 months to complete, so no strenuous physical activities should be undertaken during that time.
